Missouri plane crash near Butler Memorial Airport kills 12 on skydiving flight

A single-engine Pacific Aerospace 750XL carrying passengers for a skydiving trip crashed near Butler Memorial Airport in Missouri, killing all 12 on board, authorities said. The aircraft came down in a field and caught fire, prompting an emergency response. The National Transportation Safety Board will lead the investigation.

Officials said a plane carrying people preparing for a skydiving trip crashed near Butler Memorial Airport in Missouri. All 12 people on board died in the incident. Missouri State Highway Patrol Sgt Justin Ewing said emergency teams arrived after reports of a burning aircraft. The National Transportation Safety Board will lead the investigation.

Missouri State Highway Patrol said troopers assisted the Butler Police Department & Bates County Sheriffs Office at the scene. The crash happened close to the airport, near the town of Butler. Butler lies about 65 miles south of Kansas City. Authorities said details about victims’ ages and hometowns were not available immediately.

Missouri plane crash near Butler Memorial Airport

Ewing said dispatchers received a call around 11:30 am on Sunday. The report said a plane was down and engulfed in fire. Responders put out the flames soon after the crash, Ewing said. Ewing described the site as brutal. Ewing said the aircraft came down in a field beside the airport.

Ewing said, "It landed in a field adjacent to the airport, but I think theyre shutting down the roadway just as a precaution,\". Ewing said the plane was taking people up to skydive. Ewing also said troopers stayed at the area to support local officers. The roadway closure was described as a safety step.

Pacific Aerospace 750XL aircraft details in Missouri plane crash

The aircraft was identified as a Pacific Aerospace 750XL. It is a single engine turboprop model often used for skydiving flights. Authorities said the model is also used for cargo work and aerial surveying. It has also been used for medical evacuation flights. The aircraft can carry up to 17 skydivers.

The Pacific Aerospace 750XL is built for short runway operations. This allows take-off and landing at smaller airfields. FAA records said the plane involved was manufactured in 2010. Officials did not release more details about the flight path. The cause of the crash was not stated by authorities.

Butler Memorial Airport operations after Missouri plane crash

Ewing said Butler Memorial Airport supports about 30 aircraft. Ewing said all aircraft there are privately owned. Ewing added that operators include crop dusting companies and sky dive businesses. The airport sits near a small community, which officials described during the briefing. Local agencies worked alongside state troopers at the site.

Ewing said Butler has about 4,300 residents. Bates County has about 17,000 residents, Ewing said. Sky diving businesses in the region work for eight or nine months each year. The season often begins in late March or early April. It usually runs into October or November.

A person who answered the phone at Skydive Kansas City declined to speak to a reporter from The Associated Press. Authorities said they were still gathering information on those who died. The crash remains under investigation by the National Transportation Safety Board. Officials said more updates were expected after investigators reviewed evidence from the site.

With inputs from PTI